We dont discuss business matters inour
correspondence, that is what you are for. Mockford had made her see her position as
an outsidermust see it. The day of Madame de Vignons funeral flashed up in Lucys
mind. He dropped onhis knees and began blowing the fire.
Lucy pressed her face against his shoulder to hide
the tears ofhappiness. Very well,then meet me at the Auditorium for lunch, and Ill
write a chequefor it.
Natural perhaps, but it hurt her, allthe
same.
We were the closest of friends, long ago. What did
he know about her life, after all?
He stuck his head in andasked whether the Signore
was ready to dress.
That afternoon Lucy had to give two lessons at
Auerbachs studio.
Lying there she felt herself drifting again intohis
breathing, into his heart-beats. Heglanced at Lucy to see whether this enlightened
her. She stopped because she knew she wastalking foolishly.
Lucy pressed her face against his shoulder to hide
the tears ofhappiness.
Come, we must trust each other more thanthat. In
her companionship there was never the shadow of a claim. He must have recalled those
days, whenhe was ill up there.
She wiped off a table with her apron, andspread a
clean napkin over it. She had never met him, or seen him except on theconcert stage.
The air of the room had freshened, and something within himhad freshened. She wished
shecould get his white face out of her mind. Hell be disappointed atmissing you, but
hes very apt to forget engagements.
Now that he knew, he might think it his duty to let
her go. His glance wandered toward the piano; perhaps there wasone! As it passed
him, he gave it one long, dull look,out of half-closed eyes. She was accustomed to
direct thingsin her fathers household.
His manner was a baffling mixture of timidity and
cheek. Giuseppe always knocked like thatbefore he entered with his
latch-key.
Yearsago if I had seen that thing in brutal type, I
would have lain downand cried like a boy. Not in the mornings, when we areworking
together; then I feel quite like myself. She knew, as well as if a name had been
mentioned, that the womanwho had written for money was Mrs.
Im afraid I startled you, turning up uninvited like
that.
I cant helpwondering why he didnt wish to see me
again.
He had sometimes thought of her as rather boyish,
becauseshe was so square.
She lay down and slept for nearly two
hours.
There was a kindness in theair one
breathed.
She was frightened as she went upin the elevator,
and tried not to think at all. Just now hes fighting with me; for his rights, he
says.
He would not be at the studiotomorrow morning, as
he had to attend the funeral services of afriend.